The Oil Crisis, a serious issue.

[Heatseeker_no.1]

Hydrogen is not the answer. It is merely a storage medium, like a battery. You can't find hydrogen naturaly, it has to be extracted from compounds, which mean it takes more energy to exract it than you get by burning it.

The oil IS going to become un-economic to produce, and with countrys like China and India expanding so quickly, even when Antarctica and Alaska get dug up for oil there still won't be enough.

We just have to have faith in the scientists to develop nuclear fusion power and a substitute for oil to run cars and aircraft on (like ethanol).

[ExitChicago]

Here, watch this: http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...peek+oil&hl=en

Peak Oil is real - Believe me, I'm in the business via GE and BP...

[Whistle]

once the peak starts to be reached people will start pooring money into nulcear energy. then its a matter of time before a giant war and hopefully the worlds population levels out or declines.

[Pluckyx24]

Hydrogen is not the answer. It is merely a storage medium, like a battery. You can't find hydrogen naturaly, it has to be extracted from compounds, which mean it takes more energy to exract it than you get by burning it.

Don't rule out hydrogen energy, yet. Hydrogen can be extracted from fossil fuels or through means of electrolysis -- and it would be able to create energy with more advanced technology. Our hydrogen production give only 2% for the global energy, and its main use currently is for refineries and chemical manufacturers, but if we used all this energy (this 2%) for the vehicle economy we would be able to fuel 20% of the world's cars (which is about 150 million vehicles).

The problem is, however, we don't have such advanced technology: scientists are still in work developing more efficient cars and better fuel-cells for them. Furthermore, new infrastructures are necessary. Also, people don't want to change -- the revolution from standard oil to hydrogen will be a gradual change.

Here are some current research for energy, an article from my copy of Scientific American Magazine (Sept. 2006). Many of these advancements already exists, but are still very small at the moment.

1. Nuclear fusion: dangerous and expensive, but very clean.
2. High-altitude wind energy: windmills high up in the sky where more wind is found.
3. Space-based solar energy: place a solar panel in space where sun shines brightest.
4. Nanotech solar cells: silicon nanotubes release electrons with sunlight -- channel electrons into wire, and you have electricity. Very, very cheap.
5. Wave and tide energy: underwater "watermills" that take energy from underwater currents -- these already exist in few European countries.
6. Microbe energy: genetically alter microorganisms to produce hydrogen and fuels, cheap and clean.

[ExitChicago]

Nice post PluckyX24 - I have no doubt that one day many of thoes alternatives will be at the forefront of our energy policy. However, there is still alot of money to be made from the remaining drops of oil. More war and dead kids for the maximization of oil profits. Oil companies wouldn't like it much if we started to invest heavely into new energy alternatives or even start to talk about that.

How big is the "High-Altitude Wind Energy" lobby in DC?

[Merciless-]

If only this world wasn't filled with corrupt buisness minds who care for nothing but profit..we might completely safe ourselves from this crash, hopefully, oil producers realize that civilazation, could POSSIBLY end itself if we don't do something and let the scientist take over..

[ExitChicago]

If only this world wasn't filled with corrupt buisness minds who care for nothing but profit..we might completely safe ourselves from this crash, hopefully, oil producers that civilazation, could POSSIBLY end itself if we don't do something and let the scientist take over..

Exactly - It's your generation to fix this...

[Merciless-]

Sadly, I honestly can't do a thing about it, can't inform people..nothing.
I an inform, but mostly only through internet, can't do much else, why? I'm only a kid, hell, I still have a year to go to officially become a teen. So, if I sent a letter lets say, to the State Governer or Represantive, who would take into consideration a letter form a kid?

Honestly the only thing I and many others can do is pray.

[sassback]

Exactly - It's your generation to fix this...

dont get your hopes up man. i have very, very little confidence in my generation to do anything except run this country into the ground.

Honestly the only thing I and many others can do is pray

be glad dude. i dont even do that anymore. next year i will be able to vote however, that is equally as useless. morality and integrity are non-existant in our society. if i were fluent in deutsch i would be gone to germany as soon as i graduate.

[Heatseeker_no.1]

Don't rule out hydrogen energy, yet. Hydrogen can be extracted from fossil fuels or through means of electrolysis -- and it would be able to create energy with more advanced technology. Our hydrogen production give only 2% for the global energy, and its main use currently is for refineries and chemical manufacturers, but if we used all this energy (this 2%) for the vehicle economy we would be able to fuel 20% of the world's cars (which is about 150 million vehicles).

That is exactly what i said, it has to be extracted.

Extracting it from fossil fuels - LOL, the OIL CRISIS. :laugh:

Extracting it from water: H2O -> H + O2, burning it: H + O2 -> H2O. Where is the energy coming from?